Parachute for flying machines



F. L. GRlssoM ET AL 1,731,491 PARAGHUTE FOR vFLYING MAQHINES v d; R59H929,

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 9, 1929 fig/@if- A En ,mamma-mwa- @cm15,1929, FQLGRISSOM ET AL l 1,731,491

PARACHUTE FOR FLYING MACHINES Filed Feb. 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2i-Patented Oct. 15,1929

UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE FRANCIS LEVI GRISSOM. AND JOHN W.` GLRRETT, OIF ELY PASO, TEXAS p' P ARACHUTE Foa FLYING MACHINESApplication filed February 9, 1829. SerialvNo. 338,748.

This invention relates to parachuteequipped aeroplanes, and has for itsobject the production of a plurality of parachutes or floaters of y thecharacter which will be of durableand economical construction and-highly efficient in use or operation. One of'the objects oftheinvention is to provide a vparachute having i means whereby it isforcibly ejected from the pack to assure positive voperationof the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby theparachute maybe easily and quickly transferred from the aeroplane itselfto 4 suitable harness securedl upon an aviators or passengers body, sothat said aviators or passengers life may be saved, even though theaeroplane itselfl cannot be so saved, in event that it should catch onfire or otherwise become unwise tol attempt to save it.'

With the foregoing and other objectsin Aview which willv appear `as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combination y of parts which will be hereinafter morefully described and pointed out in the claims, it bei ing understoodthat various minor changes may be made in the construction andarrangement ofthe parts without departing from the spirit or sacricingany of the advantages ofv our invention as set forth in the. appended'3o claims.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings foriningya part of this specification, andin which: if l Figure1 is a side elevation of lthe plurality of parachutes or iioaters inopen position supi 4porting an aeroplane. v

Figure 2 is an inverted plan View ofthe parachute or iloater furthestaway from the 40 aeroplane, taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1 in thedirection of the arrows. l

Figure is an inverted plan \view ofthe parachute or floater next'abovethe aeroplane, taken on line 3 3 of Figure 1, in the direc'- tion of thearrows.

Figure 4 is an angular view of a portion of the aeroplane, showing thepack in closed position thereby enclosing the parachutes 0r floatersaround the fuselage behind the cock pit.. i

" vFigure 5. is a slightly. perspectivel view showing particularly thetwelve 'supporting f cords passing from one floater to the next abovefloater, all of which floaters are4 in open position, being attached toa-fragxnentaryportion lof an aeroplane.

' Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 .in-

dicates the fuselage of an aeroplane 11,'upon the top of which brackets13 and 14 are securely fastenedv thereto.v .v Mounted upon4 the oppositesides of the fuselage 10, are two flaps 15 and 16, to forni lwhat isknownl as pack 17. These .flaps are each secured by spring hinges 18 sothat the tendency is for each of the flaps to flyopen and remain openunless otherwise held closed 'or together by pull operated lock 19connected by'control cord l2.

All of the floaters are of hexagonal configurationor shape and arenormally retained in Vthis pack 17, however, the first parachute per seor hexagonal ioater 45 is provided with twelve separatesupporting cordsindicated' as 20, which are divided into equal 'groups Aof six,indicated generally as A and B. At the lower end of each of theconverging groups of cords A and B, snap buckles 9 aresecuredthereon,'so that each of said groups will in turn be attached tobrackets 13 and 14 and likewise may be readily detached from the same ifdesired.

The .floater 45 as previously stated, is generally in the shape of ahexagon and each of all the respective twelve cords? are secured to theiioater 45 in the placesas'especially shown in Figure 3l It will be seenthat six of these twelve cords are secured to the loater 45 at whichcerds 20a are located at the same relative points o fys ecurance aspreviously described 1n connection with 4Heater 45 and applies equallyaswell to this second Heater 40.

' shown in Figure 1. Floater or parachute 40` In theioperation of thedevice, the Hoaters 45 and 40are normally retained in the pack 17. Theaviator or passenger desiring to re lease thesefparach'utes merely pullsthe control operatingeord 12 which in turn causes thel lock 19 torelease the Haps 15V and 16, so that said' Haps will instantaneously`open as is normally placed on top of ejecting U-shaped spring'33 theends l'of which are secured to fuselage 11 and the other end being free,so thatl this Hoater 40 or the Heater above that oneincase of threeHoaters (and so on) is immediately ejected and caught by the windlpressure and therebygfully opens, to initially carry its burden."Following Hoater 40, the next or'suceeeding Heater 45 will in turn be lcaught by the wind and likewise will open and assume a positionv belowthe first .opened Heater. In Figure 8 there is shown a third Heaterwhich is secured to second Heater .40 by means of twelve supportingparallelextending cords 20 which cords 20b are arranged and secured inthe same relative posi'- tions upon the Heater 35 as the supportingcords 2O and 20a" are arranged and secured upon the Heaters 45 and 40respectively. It is to be understood that the U-shaped spring 33 in thiscase will be placed directly underneath this Heater 35 when this Heateris enclosed in pack 17. Of course when control cord is pulled, theHoater35 is ejected by the spring, and then said Heater will be caughtby windpressure. Then Heater 40 is next'pulled from pack 17 to open position byHeater 35 and likewise in succession Heater 40 will pull Heater frompack 17 and so on. Any desired number of Heaters may be used and inheavier` aeroplanes, Hve or six are generally utilized to accomplish asafe and slow landing.

` lVhere more than two Heaters are used, it is to be understood thateach additional Heater will vbe identical in construction andarrangementes to that of Heater' 40 hereinbefore described.

In event that the aeroplane should catch on fire, the aviator orpassenger may quickly vunsnap the buckles 9 and then attach it toconventional harness (notv shown) carried by the body and thereby savethe users life in making a safe landin fr with suoli a device. It ii tobe understofid that part of the cords nearest to the buckles 9 may bemade or covered with asbestos material so that tire or heat `will notdestroy its utility.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1 1. The combination with a Hying machine,

of a plurality of parachutesl or Heaters of general hexagon shapeassociated therewith for emergency use, means for connecting the.

2. The combination with a Hying machine,

of a vplurality of paraeliutesv or Heaters of general hexagon shapeassociated therewith for emergency use, means for connecting theparachutes or Heaters to the operator of the machine or to the machineitself, said parachutes or Heaters being normally contained in a pack,means for ejeeting said parachutes or Heaters, saidparachutes or Heaterseach supported by a plurality of lcords, Vhalf of said cords beingsecured at points relatively close to the various vertices of thehexagon, and the other half of said cords being secured at variouspointsapproximately midway between the center and vertices of the hexagon, all.of which cords extend in a parallel direction, and as for the purposeset forth.

3; The combination with a Hying machine, of a plurality Aof parachutesor Heaters of general hexagon shape associated therewith for emergencyuse,-means for connecting the parachutes or Heaters to theoperator ofthe machine or to the machine itself, said `parachutes or Heaters beingnormally contained in a pack, means for ejecting said parachutes orHeaters, so that one -will be disposed above the other, said parachutesor Heaters each supported by a plurality of cords, half of said cordsbeing secured at points relatively close to the different vertices ofthe hexagon, and the other-half of said cords being` secured at pointsapproximately midway between the center and vertices of the hexagon, andas for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with a flying machine, of a plurality of parachutesor Heaters of general hexagon shape associated therewith for emergencyuse, means for connecting the paraehutes or Heaters to the operator ofthe machine or-to the machine itself, said paraehutes or Heaters beingnormally contained in a pack. means for ejeeting said parachutes orHcate1:s,.so thatone will b e disposed above smstaal

